A gas turbine engine generally includes a fan and a core arranged in flow communication with one another. The core of the gas turbine engine generally includes, in serial flow order, a compressor section, a combustion section, a turbine section, and an exhaust section. The compressor section, combustion section, turbine section, and exhaust section together define a core air flowpath.
The compressor section and the turbine section are generally coupled through one or more shafts or spools. Additionally, rotation of certain components of the compressor section, turbine section, and the one or more shafts or spools is facilitated by a plurality of bearings. These bearings are provided with lubrication oil throughout operation of the gas turbine engine to, e.g., remove heat from such bearings and reduce an amount of friction within such bearings.
Gas turbine engines generally include a lubrication oil circulation assembly for providing lubrication oil to each of the plurality of bearings, for pumping out, or scavenging, lubrication oil from one or more sumps provided for collecting and/or containing such lubrication oil, and for removing heat from such lubrication oil. The lubrication oil circulation assembly typically includes a pump positioned outside of the core air flowpath, one or more supply lines and scavenge lines extending through the core air flowpath to reach, e.g., the bearings and the one or more sumps, and one or more heat exchangers also positioned outside of the core air flowpath.
However, the heat exchangers can occupy a relatively large footprint outside of the core air flowpath, which may reduce an available area for other components. Accordingly, a means for reducing a size of the heat exchangers for the circulation assembly located outside of the core air flowpath would be useful. More particularly, a means for reducing a size of the heat exchangers for the circulation assembly located outside of the core air flowpath while still providing a desired amount of heat transfer would be particularly useful.